Mandela amigo de fidel castro biography

By Isaac Risco (dpa)

HAVANA TIMES — Admired around the world, Nelson Mandela also had a symbolic relationship with a Latin American country and, in particular, a man, Cuba’s Fidel Castro.

In his last open letter to Mandela in 2010, Castro called him an “old and revered friend.”

“In all my years in prison, Cuba was an inspiration and Fidel Castro a tower of strength,” once praised the late South African president.

One of the historical photos now circulating shows Mandela about to warmly embrace the old Latin American revolutionary, one of the few occasions in which Castro used a suit instead of his classic olive green military uniform during the Non-Aligned Movement Summit in 1998.

After becoming a global icon, “Madiba” never hid his allegiance to Cuba for its early support for his fight against apartheid, despite criticism that arose against Castro for the authoritarian excesses of his government.

“We profoundly respect and admir